Following the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, another Hindu priest, Shyam Das Prabhu, was apprehended in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Prabhu had reportedly traveled to visit Chinmoy Das in jail.
Radharamn Das, Vice-President and Spokesperson for ISKCON Kolkata, posted on X on Friday, stating, "Another Brahmachari Sri Shyam Das Prabhu was arrested by Chattogram Police today."
In a separate post, Das questioned, "Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing."
Shyam Das Prabhu was arrested without an official warrant.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August, there has been a strong crackdown on members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Reports indicate that over 200 temples have been targeted.
This week, the Bangladeshi authorities also froze the bank accounts of 17 individuals connected to ISKCON, including that of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
At the same time, a petition was filed in the High Court seeking a ban on ISKCON, with the attorney general labeling the organization as a "religious fundamentalist group." However, the court rejected the request for a ban on the global organization.